Seventh Waltz
by Stopwatch-To-Oblivion
Summary: sequel to Earthdance. Ghostwriter told Danny he was the Septimus and so held amazing powers. And now someone is after them, but who and why? Perhaps Clockwork has a secret that only a few know of... Language
1. Chapter 1

_I am **so** sorry for my extreme lack of updates lately! I've been so caught up with school and I was having problems at home that I'd rather leave out of this wonderful website. Please forgive me. Anyway..._

_I think I'm going to do a slightly different style for this one. I know, I freaking know, I said I'd finish 'Fabric of Unreality' first __**before**__ I started the sequel to 'Earthdance' but, hey, I love Earthdance and I left you guys with a horrible, horrible ending. Now I'm making up for it. Unfortunately, I might just do this first chapter and then stop for a while in order to complete FoU. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom_

**Seventh Waltz**

--Dance to a rhythm that no one can hear, sing to a tune that no one knows, and do it all like you're getting paid for it.--

1: Shaking Hands With Evil

**-South Ocean, the Guardian of Water's Lair, Two Days Ago-**

He should have heard her coming. The water around him was empty, peaceful, quiet, black as the night above. But he was lost in his plans, not that they were evil or anything, he was just planning. He liked to plan. It made him feel like he was in control.

"Still squirming in the water then, are we Walker?" The voice was so familiar and yet so alien, "Tsk, tsk, I thought you'd out grown your petty fancies…"

He swirled around and froze.

"You…!"

"Oh please," A dark chuckle, so sweet, so innocent sounding, so anything but, "That has to be the most cliché line I've ever heard! What, can't think of something else? Is that against one of your little rules, Walker?"

"You shouldn't be here!"

"And why shouldn't I? Because your older brother said so? What a pathetic reason."

"My older brothers are none of your concern!"

"Ah, but, Eighth Son of the Elements, I believe one of them certainly is…!"

"You wouldn't **dare**…! He's a Guardian! You can't-!"

"I'm not bound by **your** parents' rules, Walker! I am my **own** being! Not a part of you guys!"

"You know, you totally ruined your threat with the word 'guys'…"

"Shut up!"

Walker backed away slowly and then, in a flash, swam through the water. But he wasn't faster than her. She grabbed his leg, dug in her wicked little nails, spun him around (amazingly quickly for being underwater), and smashed him into a rock face. His head spun with the impact, bubbles flying around him and he gagged suddenly as her hands closed around his neck and started squeezing with all her might.

"You're **not** going to tell them I'm back!" She snarled as he writhed and kicked at her, trying in vain to get free, "I'm going to take them by surprise and, don't worry Water Rat, it's not going to be anything like that moron Plasmius tried…!"

On surface of the South Ocean, the sun reflecting off the blue water in a sparkling glimmer of diamonds, a dark spot tainted the brightness. A small pool of dark red, leaking up from the bottom of the ocean.

**-Amity, Present Time-**

"Daniel Fenton I don't give a damn if you **are** the Guardian of the Forest it doesn't get you out of doing your chores!" Jazz shouted, standing on the roof of their stone built home and screaming up at a figure disappearing into the clouds, "DDDAAAANNNNYYYYYYYY!"

"Hahahahaha! Got out of it again!" Laughed a white haired boy, loop-dee-looping in the sky, "Works every time!"

Danny Fenton had, about a year ago, been combined with the Guardian of the Forest, Phantom, to create Danny Phantom. But soon after that event took place, Plasmius, once a human called Vlad Masters and the Guardian of Fire Molten, had kidnapped Danny and tried to make him hate the humans in order to wipe them out. But, as almost every story goes, Danny's friends had shown up just in time and, speaking of time, Clockwork, the Guardian of Time, had permanently locked the Fire Guardian out of the time stream; making it impossible for Plasmius to harm anyone again.

Over the year that had passed, Danny had learned to better control his Guardian powers and was using them to every advantage he could. Including skipping out on his afternoon chores to hang out with his two best friends, Sam and Tucker, in the Ghost Wood; his Guardian territory. Currently, the young Guardian was soaring through the air on pair of wings weaved of white petals and thin wiry vines that burst from between his shoulder blades and through the back of his shirt, pumping the air to keep him aloft. Danny loved flying; it was an awesome freedom that made bubbles swell up inside him and burst, making him laugh out loud.

"Daaaaaannnnnnyyyyyyy…!" The voice sounded far away because of the wind whistling in his ears and he pulled up short, looking down into the trees of the Ghost Wood for the source, "Dooooowwwwnnn hhheeeeerrrrreeeee, brrrrooooooo!"

Johnny 13; the only Guardian who called him 'bro' instead of 'brother' or, in his older sibling's cases, 'Brother Forest' or 'Little Forest'. Danny folded his wings and dropped from the sky at a frightening speed, snapping them open just above the tree tops and slowly landing on the forest floor. With a shiver, he let the wings slide smoothly back between the slits cut into his shirt and back under his skin, his white hair turning black and his eyes becoming blue as he quelled his Guardian powers, before looking up with a grin at his older half-brother. Technically, the two were only related because Danny had fused with Phantom but Johnny never had been one for details.

"Hey, Danny, how ya' been?" The Rock Guardian clapped him on the shoulder, smiling warmly, "Goin' off somewhere?"

"I was just about to meet up with Sam and Tucker," The teen replied, "Wanna come along?"

-**Amity, Middle of the Ghost Wood, the Guardian of the Forest's lair, Present Time**-

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Sam Manson and Tucker Foley…!" A cheerful voice issued from the trees and made the duo glance up, "It's been almost a year now, hasn't it?"

Ghostwriter stepped into the clearing where the two were perched on a fallen log. He looked a little more cleaned up than when they had last seen him; his black hair wasn't as greasy looking and his glasses looked a little cleaner but his clothes were still worn out and he was still pretty short for the Guardian of Light.

"Yeah, nice to see you again." Sam smiled back, "What brings you here?"

"Visiting." The Light Guardian muttered evasively, "Where's Danny?"

-**Amity, Near the Middle of the Ghost Wood, the Guardian of the Forest's Lair, Present Time**-

Danny and Johnny had been walking through the sunlit forest for a while when they heard the sounds of someone crashing through the undergrowth behind them. Johnny tensed and turned around, raising his arms in a fighting stance but the Forest Guardian beside him grabbed his arm, brow furrowed.

"Whoever they are, they mean us no harm." Danny murmured, blue eyes flashing green briefly as he tapped into the spirit of his territory, "They're hurt, they're frantic, and they're looking for-."

"Phantom!" Walker, the Guardian of Water, his usually spotless white suit stained with dirt and blood, stumbled from the trees and fell right into Johnny 13's arms, "Ah, Johnny too, this is good…!" He gasped in pain, "She got out, Johnny…! I don't know how but she's after Phantom…!"

"Damn it!" The Rock Guardian snarled, "I'm gonna leave you here, Walker, the Ghost Wood will protect you!" He lay the Water Guardian on the grass and whirled to face Danny, "Come on, your friends could be in danger!"

Urgency made a shot of adrenaline shoot through Danny and he panicked, jumping ahead of his brother Guardian and running as fast as he could through the Ghost Wood, not caring if he left Johnny behind or not. Sam and Tucker; he'd almost lost them once and he wasn't about to see if that would happen again. He tripped into the clearing where he was to meet them, slamming onto his stomach on the hard earth, and looked up with a smile and a sigh of relief. They were safe. Ghostwriter, the Guardian of Light, was with them. There was no way they could be in-.

"Bastard! You'd use my older brother's form to get to him! How **dare** you!" Johnny's usually friendly expression was livid with wrath, "Get…out of here!" The Rock Guardian clenched his fists at his sides, shoulders tense, his emerald eyes that were far darker than Phantom's blazing brightly in his anger, "Get out of here! **NOW**!"

Several chunks of rock ripped from the ground and hovered in the air around the angry Guardian; Danny stayed where he was and Sam and Tucker dropped to the forest floor, fearing they'd get hit as well. Johnny was a good aim…when he had a cool head.

"Hello Johnny…!" Ghostwriter sneered, most uncharacteristically, "How very nice to see you again…! I suppose that rule-obsessed idiot followed me here, didn't he?"

Johnny continued to seethe, holding back on his attack as he spat out a question at the person who was obviously not the Guardian of Light,

"What the hell do you think you're doing here!?"

"Me?" The fake Light Guardian, grinned maliciously, "What do you think, Johnny-boy? Chatting up Sam and Tucker…?" He turned his gaze on Danny who was still sprawled in the grass, "Or waiting for the Fenton boy?"

A chord of fear struck inside Danny and he felt ice run through his veins, paralyzing him. Whoever this was, they were scaring the crap out of the Guardian of the Forest who had held his own against Plasmius, the Guardian of Fire. But he was still only a teenager, acting on the instincts of his Guardian powers, and even then it was for the protection of his family and friends. There was something about this person that gave him such horrifying chills…

"LEAVE!" Johnny howled and thrust his firsts forward, sending the rocks spinning towards Fake-Ghostwriter and slamming him off his feet. There was a few moments of rustling in the undergrowth and then a streak of black zigzagged into the sky and out of sight.

"Johnny, what-!?"

But the Guardian of Rock had already blasted off with a shower of earth carrying him through the air, the silhouette of Walker disappearing along side him. Sam pushed herself to her feet, helped Tucker up, and then moved over to Danny pulling him into a more vertical position.

"What was that about?" Tucker was squinting up into the sky like he would still be able to see the Guardians and the mysterious person who'd taken on Ghostwriter's persona, "I don't think I've heard anyone use so many swear words so close together before…!"

"I have no idea." Danny brushed the dirt that was sticking to the front of his shirt off, "Probably just some old Guardian grudge or something."

"But Danny," Sam grabbed his hand and he felt his face flush, "The way the, uh, conversation was going, it sounded like whoever that person was they wanted to get to you. Remember what the real Ghostwriter said a year ago, after you beat Plasmius?"

"What?" In all honesty, he'd completely forgotten.

"He said you were the Septimus, man." Tucker responded and Sam gave him a mocking look of shock, "Hey! I can remember stuff!"

"Whatever," Danny shrugged, "Johnny and Walker chased him…it…her…well, they chased 'em off so why's it matter?"

"Ever care-free Fenton…" Sam muttered rolling her eyes as Danny started walking back towards Amity, "And they say ignorance is bliss…"

--Seventh Waltz--

_That's about all I can give you at the moment. Maybe I'll start working on chapter two and maybe I won't. Well, Sam, is ignorance bliss? _

_Please leave me a review! Reviews help me decide whether to work on this fiction or on 'Fabric of Unreality' and make Danny dance the Macarena!_

_Danny: What the hell!? _


	2. Chapter 2

_I don't feel like working on 'Fabric of Unreality' right now, I'm totally stuck on it. And I got so many wonderful reviews for 'Seventh Waltz' that I just couldn't leave you guys like that! I love you all! (hugs) So, I suppose, here is another chapter!_

**Seventh Waltz**

--Families do not always consist of brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. Sometimes they are made up of the people we know, have come to respect, or love.--

2: Relative Instincts 

-**Amity, Fenton Home, Evening, Present Time**-

The Fenton household at supper time was quite a sight to behold, if a noisy one. Jack Fenton was as boisterous and loud as ever, ranting on about the inventions being created in the lab, Maddie Fenton was always trying to calm him down, Jazz was trying to pick their brains with her smarts, and Danny was egging everyone on like a player-of-sides, bothering Jazz, shouting at his father, and laughing at his mother's attempts to sooth her husband.

A knock on the door hushed them all, their gazes all turning to the wooden entrance with mild and surprised interest. Who could be calling at this hour? Danny felt an odd chill run up his spine, making the hairs on the back of his neck rise. It wasn't a bad chill, it was like the chill you get when you've been on vacation for a while and you come back to your familiar and comfortable home. He stood and slowly walked towards the door.

"Danny…" Jazz muttered in a warning sort of voice but he ignored her; even Jack was silent.

The Forest Guardian grasped the handle firmly, twisted it, and threw the door open.

"PHANTOM!" The next thing Danny knew, he was being smothered in an enormous hug, his feet dangling in the air, the wind being crushed out of him, his face squished into the folds of what seemed to be someone's shirt.

"You're going to snap him in half, honey, put the poor boy down." A deep, chocolate voice thrummed from Danny's left and he gasped as someone set him back on the floor, releasing him from the bone-cracking hug.

Rubbing his sore back, he glanced up and blinked. Two complete strangers stood n the threshold, a woman and a man. The woman was a virtual cascade of every shade of green known to the human race; her flowing gown was looped with spiraling vine designs and laced with lavender flowers, her blonde hair was tinged a light green and spun into many braids with emerald clasps, and her eyes were such a dark green they almost appeared black. The man beside her, however, was a different story. His skin was dark, like Tucker's, and his eyes were a brilliant, shining gold. Draped over his bare chest was a dark orange sash twirled with blue and purple deigns, his loose navy blue pants swung over the tops of his worn sandals, a leather belt from which hung numerous drawstring bags wrapped around his waist, and his ebony hair was like spun silk as it flowed down his back in waves.

"Um…can we help you?" Maddie put a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder.

"It is rather late for a visit but, under the circumstances, we thought we'd drop by…" The man's voice was a low, comforting rumble, "I apologize for the intrusion it's just been so long since either of us have seen any of our children." His warm golden eyes met Danny's confused blue ones. For a second, the boy's cerulean orbs flashed neon green and then he grinned, gaining a knowing smile from the man and an excited yelp from the woman.

"It's okay Mom and Dad you can put the knife down," Danny's smile widened, "They're Phantom's parents."

-**Eastern Desert, the Guardian of Time's Lair, Three Hours Ago**-

Clockwork wasn't particularly busy when his father stepped into the room. The Guardian of Time had taken up residence in an old, abandoned, non-working clock tower in the nearly buried remains of a destroyed city, preferring the peace of seclusion of the East Desert to the lives his younger siblings staked out around other humans. But to have his own father walk casually into the room…something was amiss.

"Busy, Clockwork?" Father Dreams teased, gently prodding his oldest son with a finger, "Come on, now, don't be like that…!" He chuckled as the Time Guardian rolled over into a sitting position on the squishy old chair he'd deemed his bed, rubbing his eyes and muttering.

"Why don't you ever visit when I'm awake, father?" Clockwork unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn and reached for his staff, still trying to wake up.

"Because," All humor had left Father Dreams' voice, "This is serious."

"You know how many times I hear that in a day?" Clockwork drifted over to the many circular plates of silvery-glass that dangled from his walls, his cloak forgotten on the chair, and waved his staff at them. Several of them lit up and began to show blurred and changing images.

"But how many times do you hear it from me?"

"The last time I heard it was over nine hundred thousand years ago, I think, when mother was pregnant; again; with Vortex."

"Yes, well, this time it might concern you more than you know."

"And how is that?"

"She's back, son, and she's after the Septimus."

Everything stopped. The pictures on the screen froze, Clockwork stopped spinning his staff in his fingers the way he had been during the entire conversation, even the very earth seemed to have stopped breathing. There was a cold, burning, feeling of fear that suddenly became saturated into the desert air.

"Has she…does she know that Phantom and Danny are…?" The Time Guardian's voice was hushed and wavered with a fear that he would never show in front of his younger siblings.

"I'm not sure." Father Dreams watched his son carefully but Clockwork did not turn to face him, "From what Walker told me, she knows about the whole thing with Plasmius." He glanced at the wall, near where Clockwork had been sleeping, at the stained glass and steel that had made up the huge clock face, "I need to go see him, Phantom, I mean. This could take some sorting out."

Father Dreams turned and strode over to the stairs that would take him down.

"Dad."

The man stopped, his back to his oldest son, surprised. Clockwork never called him 'Dad.'

"Are you scared, son?"

"Tch, of course I am. Don't you think this hasn't haunted my nightmares? Fright likes to make fun of me for it. But…what really scares me," Clockwork ran a gloved hand through his short silver bangs for a moment or two and then pressed his fingers lightly against one of the glass plate, causing ripples to flow over the blurred scenes, "Is that I can't see her in the time stream any more than I can see myself. The last time I tried to view her, her plans her simply dark clouds that smeared the surfaces of my screens and fogged my mind. I cannot tell what she will do." The Guardian of Time lowered his hand, "That is why I'm really scared."

Father Dreams was still facing the stairwell.

"Everything's going to be fine, Clockwork, you shouldn't worry so much. Mother Nature and I are going to see the Septimus now. Take care of yourself."

"Wait."

"Hm?"

"Are you going to tell him? About…about her?"

"No. Not unless she strikes at him directly. The more he knows, the more danger he'll be in." Father Dreams smiled suddenly, "Why, after so many centuries of peace and quiet, must things go so absolutely haywire? And now of all times?"

"You haven't learned by now?" It was Clockwork's turn to grin, "Remember the human's law: what can go wrong, will go wrong."

Father Dreams chuckled and vanished down the stairwell.

-**Amity, Fenton Home, Evening, Present Time**-

"Oooooh, darling, I love what you've done with your bed, it's lovely!" Mother Nature was cooing over Danny's sleeping place in the loft that served as his and Jazz's bedrooms. The flower was open at the moment, ready and waiting to accept him into the folds of its petals should he need to sleep; it also served as quick means of transportation into the Ghost Wood if necessary.

"I really didn't do anything…" Danny muttered, feeling the heat rise in his face, conscious of the fact that Father Dreams was watching him, "After I joined with Phantom, I got really sick and the Ghost Wood reached out and healed me. It's been there ever since."

"And how is the Ghost Wood since that awful ordeal with Plasmius?" That deep rumbling voice was soft from behind him.

Danny winced; the topic was delicate for him. Because of his connection with the Forest Element, Danny's physical health was often linked to the state of the Ghost Wood, his territory. A year ago, Plasmius had set a large portion of his forest on fire, causing damage not only to the plants there but to Danny himself. It had hurt terribly; he had actually **felt** the fire eating away at the bark of the trees like someone had been sticking a hot poker underneath his skin and twisting it painfully until his very nerves were coiled around the heated end. He never wanted to experience something like it again.

"It's been…fine."

"Dreams, you're hurting his feelings!" Mother Nature swept the Fenton boy up into another bone-crushing hug, "Don't talk about such horrid things on his birthday!"

"B-birthday?" Danny gasped, "N-not for another f-five months…!"

"You misunderstand, Danny," Father Dreams pried his wife's arms off their seventh son and stood him up straight on the floor, "It's Phantom's birthday. Well, not today, technically. By all real means, it's tomorrow but we thought we'd drop by now." He smiled warmly, "Come, let's not hide away up here. I am eager to see these…inventions your father was ranting so ecstatically about."

"Right…after about two hours you won't be." Danny grinned but led them down to the lab anyway. However, something nagged at him. Why, of all times, had Phantom's parents shown up? Why hadn't they been there when Plasmius had gone on a rampage, nearly destroying everything? He wracked his brain as he tuned out his father and mother going on about one thing or another. If Father Dreams and Mother Nature were here then it was quite possible that it had something to do with the events that had transpired yesterday; the situation concerning Ghostwriter-who-was-not-Ghostwriter, Walker's absolute fear of someone; "her"; and Johnny 13's rage. And then the chase with no explanation.

"Danny, are you okay?" Jazz was at his shoulder, the adult's voices fading into background noise, "You've been kind of quiet since those two showed up."

"Just…thinking about stuff that happened today. Johnny lost his temper at someone who apparently wanted to kidnap me or something." He noticed the worried look on his older sister's face, "Hey, don't worry! He and Walker chased them off!" Faking a yawn, he stretched and stood up, "I'm tired, Jazz. See you in the morning."

Before his sister could stop him, he raced up the stairs, bounced through the kitchen and family room, and scrambled up the ladder. With a running leap, he jumped into his flower, curled into a little ball, and squeezed his eyes shut, willing the petals to fold over him.

_Damn it, please no more trouble._ His mind whirled with the horrible memories of last year; the fire, the pain, the screaming, the blood, and the tears, _Not just a year later…! I never wanted this! I never wanted these powers in the first place! I never wanted to __**be**__ Danny Phantom!_

He opened his eyes in the darkness of his bed, blinking brilliant, glowing green eyes. It was true, he'd never wanted to be Danny Phantom; he'd sacrificed himself for Sam with the full intention of dying and becoming a part of Phantom's forest. But something had gone wrong. Probably due to the electrical shock the day before, he and Phantom had joined as one, just as Vlad and Molten had.

He smiled. No one saw it but he smiled to himself.

_Everything turned out the way it was supposed to._ He closed his eyes again and rolled around, trying to get comfortable enough to sleep, still fully dressed, _Even if some things went a little bit wrong._

* * *

_Darn this thing, it took me forever to finish. There isn't much going on here, huh? Just the intro of the Elemental Guardian's parents and the only display of fear Clockwork will ever show._

_Anyway, thanks for waiting for an update and please leave me a review! Reviews help me write more chapters and gives Clockwork lollipops. Because lollipops make everyone feel better! :D_

_Clockwork: …… _


	3. Chapter 3

_A lot of people are begging me to know what is going on and want to know why this girl has Clockwork running for cover. I suppose you should all get what you ask for. _

_Hope you guys didn't miss me too much!_

**Seventh Waltz**

--There is no good or evil, only choices and their inevitable consequences.--

3: Disclosure of the Game

-**Amity, Fenton Home, Dawn, Present Time**-

The early morning mist found Danny Fenton sneaking out of his home and making his way quietly to the Ghost Wood. The sun had not even peeked over the horizon yet but Danny longed for the solitude of his territory. As he reached the edge of the forest, he smiled broadly and sped up, walking briskly in the chill air.

"Morning Sam."

"Morning Danny."

"Eh…what're you doing out this early?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She smiled at him and he blushed, "Come on, let's walk." She took his hand in her own and leaned her head on his shoulder and together they ventured into the Ghost Wood.

It was quiet, the mist low to the earth, seeping between the trees like haunting spirits, the half-light cast an eerie feeling throughout the wood, and their breath frosted in the air before them. Danny's blue eyes turned green and his hair went from black to white, his skin turning icy, as he tapped into his Guardian powers. The strength of his territory flowed into him and he closed his eyes, relishing in the pure, untainted brilliance of the forest. Of their own accord, his vine and petal wings unfurled from his back and one curled around Sam so that she started as the soft petals brushed her cheek.

"Wanna fly?" He scooped her up in his arms, his wings growing larger to lift the extra weight.

"You have to ask?" She looped her arms around his neck and they both flushed red simultaneously.

"Uh…hold on." With those less-than-romantic words, he kicked off the ground, flaring his wings and pumping them franticly to gain altitude. For a moment, they hung, suspended, inches above the forest floor, before Danny's wings gave an all mighty flourish and they shot upwards, trailing spiraling, ghostly mist behind them.

Sam buried her face in Danny's chest as the wind tore at her, tossing her black hair across her cheeks, and she squeezed her eyes shut. It seemed that the Forest Guardian didn't notice as he continued to climb higher and higher into the sky, the beating of his wings lost in the howl of the wind racing past them.

Quite suddenly, the wind ceased and there was a serenity filled silence.

"Sam…? Hey, you can look now. Come on, it's really awesome, you gotta see this."

Ever so slowly, the girl slid her eyes open and gasped at her surroundings. They were above the clouds, the sunlight piercing from below, lighting the fluffiness beneath and around them. The placed looked like a semi-paradise.

"It's…beautiful…" She whispered, "Like…like what Heaven would look like…"

"Heaven, then, is it? Well, I expected more." A cold voice hissed behind them and Danny felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise, "Well, Daniel, what do you think? Is this how your paradise appears to you?"

"Plasmius!?" Danny spun in mid-air, the motion making Sam's stomach flip-flop and she clutched at Danny tighter, "How!?"

"I have my methods…" The Fire Guardian sneered, appearing to be inspecting his claws, the air around him shimmering with the heat he was giving off to stay afloat. Danny gave a feral, snarling noise that rumbled in his throat. He could do nothing to strike out against his enemy with Sam in his arms but nor was he willing to let Sam get hurt. The only option was to—.

"Running? That's no fun," The tone of Plasmius' voice had changed to something like sadistic amusement, "Let's play, Septimus!"

Plasmius thrust his hands out and flames churned out of his palms like living beasts, the roar of their flickering tongues sending Danny's heartbeat into a frenzy. His muscles locked with terror. Fire…fire…it was so hot…burning…

Sam saw the flames rushing towards them and the paralyzed look plastered across her boyfriend's pale face and acted.

"DANNY! MOVE!"

Green eyes blazed and Danny snapped his wings shut, ready to drop, but Sam had just been a little too late. The blast of vivid heat wrapped around them and Danny screamed in fear, a high, keening noise that pierced right through Sam's brain, inhuman and terrifying. And then she was screaming too as Danny's arms slipped out from under her and she was freefalling through the air back towards the ground and she saw Danny surrounded by a flurry of dancing flames that tore at him and he was screeching and clawing at himself and Plasmius was laughing and she was falling faster and she was surely going to die and so was Danny and what a hell of a way to go…!

"You humans really need to learn to fly!" Grumbled a voice and Sam opened her eyes to see Vortex, the Guardian of the Sky, sweeping through the air, apparently he'd caught her, "And please stop screaming…!"

Sam shut her mouth and then opened it again.

"Danny! You've got to-!"

"You think I came alone?"

"Damn it!" A voice swore and Sam peered over Vortex's shoulder to see Clockwork and Ghostwriter hovering in the air, facing Plasmius. Ghostwriter had his hands up, palms up, golden-white energy swirling around them, reflecting eerily off his glasses.

"So it's true!" Clockwork spat, pointing his staff at Plasmius, "You did escape!"

"That's right!" Plasmius chuckled, "And the Septimus is mine!"

"Brother!" The Guardian of Time snapped and Ghostwriter swept around aiming his beams of light at the churning sphere of flames from which Danny's screaming could still be heard. The blasts sent spouts of flames in all directions (Vortex had to dodge a few himself) and Danny dropped through the air only to be caught in Ghostwriter's waiting arms. He was passed out cold with horrid blistering burns on his pale skin, his black hair smoldering.

"Damn you, Clockwork, damn you into living hellfire!" Plasmius growled, flames licking the edges of his body in his rage, "Every single f-ing time! Every time you get in my f-ing way and I won't STAND FOR IT!"

"Endgame!" An angry, deep voice broke over them and Plasmius froze, the fires around him dying. He, Vortex, Clockwork, and Ghostwriter all turned to face Father Dreams who was standing effortlessly in mid-air, arms crossed and scowling horribly.

"Hello, **Father**!" Plasmius sneered the words, face contorted into a genuine twist of hatred, "Come to put me in time-out?"

"Drop the charade, Endgame, the gig's up!" Vortex's wheezing voice, like fingernails grating on the chalkboard, made Sam shiver in his arms, "We know!"

"I know you know!" Plasmius shot back, hands on his hips in a most unmanly sort of way, "And I wanted you to know that I know that you know!" He sniggered, "And I was just wishing Septimus there a Happy Birthday!" He waggled his clawed fingers at the unconscious boy in Ghostwriter's arms, "Happy Birthday, Phantom!"

"Vicious little…bastard!" Clockwork swore and Sam was startled by the display of anger coming from the Guardian of Time.

"Oooooohhhh! Such language, Clocky, I didn't think I'd ever hear you say something so rotten!" Plasmius' voice was definitely different; it had a more feminine quality to it, teasing, arrogant, and purely sadistic.

"Endgame," Father Dreams hissed again, drawing Plasmius-who-was-not-Plasmius' attention, "Come with me, back to your…cage and you won't have to suffer. Resist and I am afraid I will not be able to withhold my anger much longer."

"I'm sooooo scared!" The person; Endgame, apparently; cackled madly and leaned back in the air, Plasmius' eyes flicking from one face to the next before finally coming to rest on Danny, "He's such a cutie…! And to think, that little brat is the Septimus with the power to—."

"SHUT YOUR DAMN HOLE!" Clockwork roared and leapt at Endgame, spinning his staff and slashing downwards, "What the-!?"

His staff had gone right through his intended target and Endgame dissipated, waving mockingly and laughing. Soon there was nothing left of them in that Heaven-like arena. Clockwork lowered his staff, his features blank but his usually warm red eyes ablaze with anger and a tint of fear.

"Ghostwriter, Vortex." Dreams murmured softly, unfolding his arms so that they swung down to his sides.

"Yes?"

"Yeah?"

"Take Sam and Danny home and heal Danny's wounds. Don't tell him anything about Endgame; simply say that the Plasmius he saw was a trick and Samantha," Father Dreams' golden eyes bored into her own lilac ones, "I hold it to you not to tell him either. It would only place him and Amity in more danger."

Sam nodded mutely. Vortex and Ghostwriter dropped from the sky and back into the Ghost Wood below, leaving Clockwork and Father Dreams in a field of gold, white, pink, and blue clouds. Silence reigned.

"I didn't want it to be true." Clockwork whispered finally, "I wanted to think that if I didn't really believe it then it wouldn't be true." He laughed at himself, "Damn it, I'm just as bad as my younger siblings…"

"Clockwork, there's no need to berate yourself. She is not your fault."

"You know damn well she's my fault, father! It's my fault she exists! It would have been better if I hadn't…if I hadn't been born."

Shock etched itself onto Father Dreams' face and he was instantly at his son's side, arms on Clockwork's shoulders, trying to look him in the eye but the Guardian of Time simply hung his head.

"Son, don't you **ever** say such a thing again! You hear me!? EVER! Your mother and I love you but Endgame…Endgame was necessary. She is **not** your fault. You did not create her, no one did. Everyone has the thoughts and ideas to do awful, terrible things but that doesn't mean we have to act on them! There is no such thing, Clockwork, as good and evil. There are only the choices we make and the consequences they have on our lives."

"You and that speech…" Clockwork chuckled, reaching up and rubbing his eyes with the back of his gloved hand, "Every time, when we were little, one of would get into trouble and you'd corner us and spill all that out. I never got any of it back then, you know that? Even with my power over time I couldn't grasp the depth, the meaning, the complexness of those words." He sighed and looked up, smiling sadly, "Sometimes I wish I still did. But, I grew up. And I dealt with it."

"You did. Very well, I might add." Father Dreams returned the smile, "And Endgame is not going to be a problem."

"Just like she wasn't a problem the last fifty million times."

"Has she really been pushing people's buttons that long?"

"No, actually, father, that was an exaggeration."

"Oh…"

* * *

_Every time there was a "blush moment" in a DP episode, I sat there and yelled at Danny going: "Kiss her you moron, kiss her! What're you doing!? No! Don't leave! Forget the f-ing ghost for once and-what the heck! KISS HER!" Yeah…I'm weird like that…_

_I thought I'd end this chapter on a slightly more cheerful note since there was quite a bit of trauma in it. Poor Danny, I just keep beating him up, don't I? XD _

_Well, we're learning more about this mysterious "she", aren't we? Now she has a name: Endgame. How fun sounding. And Clockwork has something to do with her…and he's obviously upset about it…well, darn, everyone's going to need therapy after all of this is said and done, I think!_

_Anyway, thanks for reading and I'm really sorry for the late update! I'll try to keep up from now on! And don't forget to review! Reviews give chapters kung-fu fighting powers to kick Walker's ass and make flowers sing! ……Actually, singing flowers sounds kind of…scary… _


	4. Chapter 4

_The reaction from the last chapter was quite enlightening! Hugs and cookies to NovaSphear for making a guess at who Endgame really is however…_

**Seventh Waltz**

--Lies may hurt you more but truth will always be the hardest thing to face.--

4: Wandering Forest 

-**Western Edge of Amity, Mid-Afternoon, Present Time**-

Danny was not happy.

And that was putting it lightly.

In all genuine reality, Danny was, beyond all reasonable comprehension, royally pissed.

When he'd woken up long after the sun had risen that day, after Plasmius' attack, in the Ghost Wood with not a single scratch on him, he'd turned right to Sam who was sitting near by. The only explanation she'd been able to give him was that the Plasmius was nothing more than an illusion sent my some foe that his fellow Elemental Guardians had taken care of. And then, to make his day all the more better, when he'd returned to the house he'd found that Father Dreams and Mother Nature had left.

Furious and in no mood for company, he'd stomped his way to the western edge of Amity's borders, hopping ledges and scrambling over crevices with an ease only apparent because of the white streaks showing up in his black hair.

Now, the young boy sat high above the ground, alone, on the top of what used to be a building. Crumbled ruins were the edges of Amity; the residents dare not stray to far from one another in fears of being attacked. Danny used to be just as cautious but that vigilance had been buried, at the moment, by his frothing anger.

He knew the others were hiding something from him.

Especially Sam.

**His** Sam.

"Keeping secrets…" He growled dully, knees up to his chin and only his crystal blue eyes peering over the tops of his arms as his bangs were whipped around in a warm breeze, "Damn it all…it hurts." He squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears.

What was so bad that everyone had to hide it from him?

"Well, don't you just look the picture of eternal joy and happiness." Said a voice and Danny glared up at the girl floating in the air in front of him, her strangely colored hair pulled into a ponytail and whipping the air behind her in the wind. Obviously a Guardian. Obviously Ember, his older sister and Guardian of the Wind.

"Go away." He growled and buried his face in his arms again.

"Well, geez, I risk getting in trouble with Mother and Father to tell you what's really going on and you diss me like some shit pile."

"Wh-what?" That was the dirtiest language Danny had heard from a fellow Guardian. He quickly composed himself back into his royally pissed state, however, when Ember's words sunk in, "Bull crap. You're here to tease me, aren't you…"

"Never," Ember dropped onto the edge of the ruin beside him, swinging her legs around in empty space, "You're pissed because everyone else doesn't think you could handle the truth, they think you're weak. It doesn't help that you're half human. But I trust you."

Danny didn't respond though he had lifted from anger and into a sulking silence. He was listening but still believed that Ember was playing with him.

"That wasn't an illusion of Plasmius you saw, it was Endgame."

The Forest Guardian's attention was now completely on his older sister; his blue eyes locked with her empty gaze, begging for more information. Ember complied.

"Endgame's just like the rest of us, sort of. She's not an Elemental Guardian she's…" Ember turned away, her voice going cold, "She's a mistake."

"A…mistake?"

Ember still didn't look back at him, "Yeah…a…a mistake. Endgame is…she's like…she's like Clockwork, in a way, only on a much more…powerful scale, I guess."

"Stronger than Clockwork?"

"Yeah, I know, it's…pretty hard to believe, huh?" She chuckled lightly but it didn't have any heart in it and Danny tried to lean forward to see if she was alright but Ember just turned her back on him completely. It was only his keen hearing from Phantom that helped him catch the softly spoken next words.

"Mother and Father hate her."

A streak of white lightning shot through the black locks of Danny's hair as the words startled him and almost sent him tumbling from the roof; his Guardian powers saved him. Ember continued, her voice growing colder and louder as she went,

"Endgame isn't so much a mistake as she is a copy! A mere copy of what Clockwork is! She **is** Clockwork! Or what he would have been! But Mother and Father said she was too dangerous, hated her for even existing but couldn't destroy her, so they locked her away for millions and billions of years! But now she's out again and she's after…" Ember paused to take a breath and then whipped around to stare at Danny with milky white eyes that seemed to see right through him, "The Septimus!"

Danny screamed, shoved away from the Ember-who-was-not-Ember's reaching, claw-like nails, slipped, and tumbled head over heels off the building. The wind tore the scream from his throat, stole the breath from his lungs, and stabbed at him. He twisted in mid-air, trying to right himself and summon his wings but below him there blazed a fire as ferocious as the one that had burnt his forest before. It reflected into his blue eyes as he shot right for the midst of the flames, fear petrifying every nerve in his body.

_Not this way…not this way…!_

The impact was the most painful thing he'd ever experienced and it shattered him to pieces. Blood welled out of his mouth and the huge tear that had once been his midriff, seeping across the ground only to be evaporated by the fire that crept closer like an animal.

Danny saw none of it.

He was already dead.

* * *

The Guardian of the Forest jolted, blinking, gasping, and looking around him. He wasn't a bleeding mass of flesh on the ground, Amity was not on fire, and he was still perched on the top of the ruins looking over the wastelands at the sun setting on the horizon.

A vision? But when had it stopped being reality…and become a foretelling?

"Daaaaaaannnnyyyyyy?" He distantly heard his mother calling his name; it seemed the whole day had gone by without him knowing, "Daaaaaaannnnnyyyyyyy?"

But the young Forest Guardian didn't want company. Biting his lip with a small touch of indecision, he stood, stretched to get the stiffness out of his limbs, and jumped off the building, his vine and petal wings erupting from his back and through his shirt, pumping the air to get him aloft.

_Mental note to self…_ Danny cringed as he veered sharply and flew over Amity, against the sun, _Never do that again. Ouch. Wings snapping open from jumping off rooftops is a big no-no…_

The Ghost Wood came into view a short while later and, after making sure no one was around, Danny dove beneath the tree tops and dropped down at the base of a cliff, feeling very small next to the side of this monstrous wall of rock. His now green eyes traveled up the sheer mass of stone and, after a split second of hesitation, he fanned his wings, beat them a couple of times, and shot up the side of the cliff, parallel to its surface. To any human eyes, he would have looked like a blur of white and green that vanished quickly. With a soft sigh, he dropped onto the part of the Ghost Wood that dominated the cliff top, scrambled up a tree as his wings sank away, and perched himself high up in the branches.

That…vision had disturbed him. A lot. If what that person who wasn't Ember had said was true then he really was in trouble.

_Maybe,_ He thought to himself, _It would be better if I left Amity…_

A piercing scream cut through his thoughts and he jolted upright to look out of the woods. The forest was lashing out at someone, trying to drive them away. Danny frowned and slipped out of the tree; his forest should not have been attacking anyone without his expressed permission. That is, unless, they meant himself or Amity harm. Curiosity overpowering his sense of reason, Danny wove through the thick trunks and undergrowth in search of the scream, his hair fading back into black and his eyes flashing blue again. It didn't take him long to find it.

In rather dense part of his Ghost Wood, a girl, probably no older than him, was struggling in the grip of some thick, leafy vines. Her eyes were wide with fear and there were several twigs and leaves sticking out of her long, dark hair.

"_**Drop the girl."**_ He murmured and the vines stopped pulling at her, _**"I said drop her."**_

Reluctantly, the vines drew back into the trees and the girl ran, sobbing at Danny, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder. Danny felt his face burn and, after giving a quick look around, patted her lightly on the back.

"Oh, you saved me!" Her voice had an accent to it, strange and slightly exotic. The young Forest Guardian found it…interesting, "Thank you so much!" She batted her large eyelashes at him, "Who is my hero?"

"Eh…Danny." He muttered, blushing furiously, "Danny Fenton for Amity." He composed himself, "Who're you and what're you doing in m—the Ghost Wood? This is the territory of the Guardian of the Forest. It's dangerous."

"B-b-but I…I r-ran away!" The girl blubbered, eyes watering, "M-my home was attacked and I r-ran! W-we were s-such a sm-small village th-that n-no one even n-n-noticed!"

"Ah…I'm…sorry…?" Danny said lamely, he'd never been much good in the comfort department, "But really, we should get out of here. Okay?"

"A-alright."

Danny lead the girl back through the trees and then stopped, realizing that he couldn't go back down the way he'd come up. He glanced at the girl who was chewing on a piece of her hair, her fingers wrapped so tightly around his that he thought they might fall off.

"Can you climb down the cliff face?" He asked her and she shook her head, "Alright then…um…we'll just have to find another path down…"

The two wandered around the cliff edge for about an hour before they found a suitable path down. Danny felt uneasy the whole time and he figured it was because of his forest acting up on him. Or maybe it was because this girl (he learned her name was Paulina) never stopped starring lovingly at him.

"Look, you can't come home with me so…uh…you're going to have to go talk to Amity's mayor, she'll sort you out. Just up this path until you get to a large stone building with guards in front of it." He pointed, "Erm…see you…?"

"Wait!" Paulina grabbed his wrist and planted a kiss right on his lips, "Thank you for saving me!" She fluttered her eyes at him again and skipped away.

Danny blinked and watched her go, semi-dazed. As he turned to head home, he tripped and bit dirt.

* * *

_Uhg, I know, short chapter, but I've got Writer's Block for this thing. Sorry for the huge gaps between updates, I'm really trying very hard to get these things finished without you awesome peoples waiting forever. Anyway…_

_Please leave a review and thanks a ton for sticking with this fiction! Reviews bring more chapters (well, now I'm just lying, aren't I?) and hide all of Vlad's Packers stuff. (laughs evilly) _


	5. Chapter 5

_Wow…this has been delayed beyond all possible reason and I apologize for that but, like I said last chapter, severe Writer's Block for this thing. Thank you all so much for staying with this even though I only update once in a blue moon!_

* * *

**Seventh Waltz**

* * *

--If you love someone put their name in a circle, not a heart. A heart can be broken but a circle goes on forever.--

* * *

5: Sweet, Sweet Trickery 

-**Amity, Northern Sector, Morning, Present Day**-

Tucker and Sam spent the vast majority of the next day looking around for Danny. His parents didn't know where he was and when they asked Jazz she blinked and said, "I thought he was with you guys." Slightly dejected, the two of them had begun to wander Amity in hopes of, if not running into their elusive friend, then finding someone who had seen him somewhere.

"Hey, Valerie!" Tucker hailed the dark skinned girl helping to hoist out some old metal pipes from a crevice. The girl looked up, turned back to her work until the pipes were safely on stable ground, and then walked over to the duo, tightening her wavy black hair in its pony tail.

"Hey Tucker, hi Sam. What's up?"

"Have you seen Danny around Amity at all today?" Sam asked as Tucker went goo-goo eyed over an almost completely ruined computer, "Even Jazz doesn't know where he is."

"He's not with you?" Valerie asked, a little shocked, and when Sam shook her head replied, "But sorry, no, I haven't. My father and I've been on salvager duty since early this morning. Maybe someone else has though…hey, Youngblood!" She waved a boy over, "Sam wants to talk to you!"

Youngblood's first name was Pester but he'd scream his head off at you if you called him that; the sandy haired, emerald-eyed boy preferred his surname because "it sounded cooler." Youngblood was far too adventurous for his own good (he'd been one of the boys chucking burning sticks into the Ghost Wood when Phantom was still in control) and had assigned himself to salvage duty. Not that he could actually do anything, he was far too young to be going into the crevices and so had to be content with running all over Amity to abet the needs of those who actually did any salvaging. He was a reliable source if you wanted news about anything going on in Amity.

"What, what, what?" The youth rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, looking ecstatic, "Whatcha need, Sammy, watcha need?"

"Don't call me Sammy." Sam growled beneath her breath and then out loud asked, "Have you seen Danny anywhere around here today?"

"Oooooohhhh!" Youngblood giggled maliciously, "Yeah, I did, I did!"

"So, where was he?"

"Hewaswithanothergirl!TheywereheadedtowardstheGhostWood,Isaw'em,IswearIdid!" He said all of this extremely fast, "Theywereholdinghands,Iswearit,andshewasallsmil-!"

"Stop!" Sam slapped her hand over his mouth and his large eyes blinked at her questioningly, "Can you slow down and speak **English**!?" And she slowly took her hand away.

Youngblood glanced from Sam to Valerie and back again, took a deep breath, and said in a slower and more intelligible voice, "He was with another girl and they were headed for the Ghost Wood! They were holding hands and the girl was all smiles and stuff and Danny's face was as red as sunset! I swear it! On my honor as a scavenger!" And he crossed his chest with a finger before scampering off.

Sam starred blankly at the spot where the youth had stood, trying comprehend exactly what that all meant. Her thoughts whirled. Danny was with another girl? They were headed for the Ghost Wood? Why would he…why would her Danny…?

"Sam, you going to be okay?" Valerie asked, putting a light and friendly hand on the other girl's shoulder, "You look like you're going to be si-."

"Like I'm going to murder someone? Yeah, that about sums it up, Val." Sam stomped over to Tucker, grabbed him by the back of his shirt, and started dragging him towards the Ghost Wood, "Danny's gonna have hell to pay when I get through with him…!"

* * *

-**Amity, Middle of the Ghost Wood, the Guardian of the Forest's lair, Present Time**-

Paulina was very hesitant about entering the Ghost Wood after the events the day before but Danny had convinced her otherwise. The young Forest Guardian found this girl exotically attractive and he wasn't quiet ready for Sam or Tucker to meet her; he knew that was selfish but…he liked the feeling of keeping secrets.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Paulina was currently crouching in front of a bunch of bright yellow flowers with petals the size of a grown man's thumb, "Why doesn't anyone else come in here? The forest isn't attacking us."

"Eh…" Danny's face flushed just like it did every time she looked at him, "Well, I…I sort of…made friends with the Elemental Guardian who…who lives here." It was a lame excuse but the girl seemed to by it and went back to fingering the flowers. Danny turned away to look up at the clear blue sky through the leaves. He loved his forest. Loved it a lot. A twinge of pain distracted him and he spun around.

"_**STOP IT!"**_ The words came out colder and harsher than he meant them too and Paulina fell back from the flower she'd been trying to pick.

"Wh-wh-what!?" Her eyes grew watery with tears and Danny reigned in the Guardian powers threatening to surface.

"D-don't…don't touch anything…!" He gasped, rubbing his left hand where a nasty red mark had appeared, "You'll hurt…you'll hurt the Guardian of the Forest."

"Oh…" Paulina looked hurt, her lower lip sticking out in a pouty sort of way.

Danny realized he'd hurt her feelings and he scuffed his shoes in the dirt. He'd never been good with girls; his sister had called him—what was the word?—impulsive, he usually spoke and acted before he thought. Sometimes, she'd said, that was good but other times it wasn't.

"Look, ah, maybe you shoul—."

"Danny! Look out!" Tucker suddenly slammed into his best friend's back, sending them both sprawling into the dirt and grass, kicking up a flurry of pine needles, petals, and leaves.

"Tucker!" Danny groaned, scrambling out from underneath the other boy, who was half way between laughing and moaning in agony, "What the hell, man!?"

"I told you to look out!" Tucker laughed and Danny rolled over onto his back…to face a pair of angry lilac eyes.

"Oh…hey, Sam…"

"'Hey, Sam' indeed!" The girl snapped, grabbing Danny's shirt front and yanking him to his feet, "Where the hell have you been!? We've been looking for you all, f-ing morning! And Youngblood said you were in here with another girl and I—!"

"Sam…" The Forest Guardian pried her fingers off of his shirt, "Sam, don't…don't say it like that. You make it sound bad." His cheeks flushed, "I just…I just…well, I wanted to…" His neck turned red as well, "Actually, I don't know what the hell I was thinking."

"You probably weren't." Sam grumbled but threw her arms around his neck and held him close, "But if you stopped being an idiot, you wouldn't be my Danny anymore."

"Um, like, hello…! I'm not invisible!" Danny, still with one arm around Sam's waist, looked around to see Paulina (now on her feet) still with a pout face on and her arms crossed in surly way over her chest.

"Um, Sam, Tucker, this is Paulina. She's just moved into Amity because," He paused a moment, trying to remember exactly why she was there, "Oh yeah, her home was attacked."

"And you're the only one who made it out?" Sam asked in an ominous tone of voice.

"Yes." Paulina replied shortly. Sparks flew between the two girls as they glared at each other. Danny felt the tension thicken the air and the hair on the back of his neck rose; several thick vines started trailing down the older tree trunks, flicking their ends like snakes, and the air turned cold.

"Danny," Tucker said, shivering, his breath visible before him as the sky darkened, "Dude, calm down." When Danny didn't respond, he grabbed his friend by the wrist and, hoping that Sam would follow, dragged him out of the Ghost Wood. Sam did follow but they were also tailed by Paulina.

"Danny, man, you okay?" Tucker asked once he was sure that Paulina was well out of earshot, "I don't think I've ever seen you get so edgy before."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, I just felt something." The Forest Guardian murmured and Sam slipped her hand into his, "It felt like someone was watching us…like they wanted to eat…me." He trembled, his steps uneven, "They…the person, whoever they were that was watching me, I got that feeling when Sam and Paulina started glaring at each other."

"Maybe she wants to eat you." Sam grumbled, glaring over her shoulder at the other girl.

Danny chuckled half-heartedly, pushing open the door to his home and inviting the others inside. Jazz started to lecture them on spending all day running about and doing as they pleased but the three waved her off and climbed the ladder into the loft, scrambling past the curtain into Danny's room. There was a ruckus shout from downstairs and the trio laughed as they heard Maddie berating Jack for something he'd probably made explode.

They spent the rest of the evening playing games and trying convince Danny to grow a flower out of the top of his head. Danny flatly refused.

* * *

-**Eastern Desert, the Guardian of Time's Lair, Present Time**-

Clockwork's warm red eyes narrowed as he pressed his forehead against the glass that made up the giant clock face of his old tower.

"She's moving. I can feel it."

* * *

-**Amity, Fenton Home, Dawn, Present Time**-

"Danny…!"

"Shhh! Not so loud!"

"He's surrounded by a flower. He probably couldn't hear a thunder storm."

"Be quiet though! The rest of his family's still sleeping!"

Sam and Tucker, having slept over at Danny's, were arguing in hushed voices in front of Danny's flower-bed, still with ruffled hair and bed clothes and partially underneath the blankets they'd slept in.

"Poke it then." Sam hissed as Tucker mouthed wordlessly at her, looking angry.

"I'm not touching!" The boy snapped, crossing his arms resolutely over his chest, "It's weird looking."

"You're weird looking and you don't hear **us** complaining about it!" Sam sneered and Tucker stuck his tongue out at her, "Oh fine, **I'll** touch it!" And she reached out and stroked a hand along one of the vines. Tucker flinched. Nothing happened.

"Danny?"

* * *

-**Amity, Middle of the Ghost Wood, the Guardian of the Forest's lair, Present Time**-

The Guardian of the Forest opened his eyes and took in a deep soothing breath, enjoying the feeling of the cool morning air that was caressing his pale skin and bare chest and—.

_Hold on!_ Danny jolted upright, stirring the fog he was sitting in and looking around wildly, _What the hell is going on!? Why am I in the Ghost Wood!?_

"So you do come when you're called?"

Danny looked around, his slowly changing hair a shade of gray and falling into his turquoise eyes. All this faded back into his human form when he saw Paulina leaning casually against a tree, her eyes half-lidded by her long lashes. Danny grinned stupidly, all worry melting away. It was okay. It was only Paulina.

"What're you doing out here?"

"Waiting for you." She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes, "You were still sleeping so I called to you."

Danny yawned and stretched, getting to his feet as he did so. His bare feet crunched on the dirt and the grass tickled his feet. The morning mist swirled around his thighs. Paulina straightened up and walked over to him as he dusted himself off. She took his hand in hers and stuck out her lower lip, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Sam's mad at me, isn't she?" Her voice was warm and quivered with sorrow, "She hates me."

"N-no, no that's not it at all!" Danny felt the blush rise in his face, "Sh-she just didn't quite…didn't get that I…" But he couldn't seem to form a thought that made sense. That wasn't about her. All he could think about was Paulina; those large sparkling eyes and the way they looked at him so pleadingly.

_Aw hell…_ He thought, _No one's looking._

And he leaned forward and kissed her full on the lips. Then, as he pulled away, his brilliant blue eyes locked, not with warm brown ones, but with cold, white orbs filled with hate and revenge.

"Got you." Paulina hissed in a sadistic voice and Danny felt something sharp pressing against the back of his neck, "Move an inch and your head comes off…Little Forest Guardian."

* * *

_Is it just me, or are these chapters getting shorter? (shrugs) _

_Well, now we're getting into the real grit, aren't we!? Dirty little secrets are going to be popping up! We'll find out what Paulina's doing and how she knows Danny's the Forest Guardian and also some more juicy little details on our elusive Endgame! Not to mention Clockwork joining the fray with some boiling anger he's kept bottled up for several centuries! It's going to be one whirlwind of a drop from here on out so hold onto your lunch people!_

………

_I can't believe I just did something that corny._

_Aaaaaaannnnyyyway! Thanks for sticking with me despite my ridiculously long periods between updates! And please review! I hope you lovely people haven't given up on me yet because Walker's after my chapters again and I think it's about time he learned his lesson!_


	6. Chapter 6

_You'd think that, it being summer, I would have nothing to distract me from getting these chapters finished but nooooooo! As soon as summer hits, so does the Writer's Block. Curse the Writer's Block, curse it! So, yeah, this is a crap chapter. I'm sorry for this crap chapter…really, I am. It disgusts me. _

_On the bright side, we finally learn about Endgame…!_

**Seventh Waltz**

* * *

--Hatred and anger kept inside will thrive, boil over, and eventually consume us.--

* * *

6: My Older Brother Hates You

* * *

-**Amity, Middle of the Ghost Wood, the Guardian of the Forest's lair, Dawn, Present Time**-

"Got you." Paulina hissed in a sadistic voice and Danny felt something sharp pressing against the back of his neck, "Move an inch and your head comes off…Little Forest Guardian."

"Wh-what..?" His head was in the clouds, he couldn't think straight, "Paulina…?"

A horrible laugh that made his stomach turn inside out.

"Endgame to you, Little Brother." Her hand moved from behind him so that it was clasped around his neck and the other was clenched at her side. Silvery, pointed nails an inch long protruded dangerously from her fingertips, "And this time, Clockwork's not coming to save you!"

She hoisted him into the air with one hand, her fingers curled tightly around his throat, cutting off his air supply. He kicked, clawing at the hand holding him, unable to comprehend exactly what was going on. It had all happened so fast.

_Sam…help me…_

* * *

-**Unknown, Present Time**-

"You mean we really can't help?" Mother Nature whimpered, agitatedly arranging a rose bush, "We can't even interfere a little bit?"

"No." Father Dreams replied firmly, "Our sons and daughter must fight this darkness themselves." He looked over the horizon at the lush forest and the mountains rising in the distance, swirling his light violet drink around in his glass as he did so, "Children, like their parents, must grow up some day, my dear, we cannot watch over them forever. Our duties lie elsewhere now-a-days." He looked back at his wife, "The Creator gave us the task of protecting and purifying the Earth, something we could not do alone and so our wonderful children came into being. But they must learn to fend for themselves."

"Even…even Vortex?"

"Darling, Vortex is more than capable of handling himself. Even if he is our youngest."

Mother Nature looked hard into those golden eyes, "You're not worried so much about what Endgame will do to Phantom…but what Clockwork will do to get back at Endgame."

Father Dreams gave a sigh, "That is exactly what I'm worried about. He can be quite rash when his temper gets the better of him.

"I wish we could help. What if it goes wrong? What if Endgame gets her way? What if—!?"

"Shhhhhh," Father Dreams left his glass floating in mid-air as he knelt beside his wife and wrapped his arms soothing around her shoulders, "Shhhhhhh, my sweet, everything will be okay. The Creator will not let such a horrible tragedy befall the human race. And nor, I suspect, will our children."

* * *

-**Eastern Desert, Halfway to Amity's Border, Dawn, Present Time**-

Clockwork sped over the sand, leaving wakes of it flying into the air behind him. He was headed towards Amity and the Ghost Wood. Endgame was making her move, he could feel it burning in his heart.

"I should have stayed there…!" He kept repeating to himself, "I should have to stayed there to make sure nothing happened…to my dear little brother."

* * *

-** Amity, Middle of the Ghost Wood, the Guardian of the Forest's lair, Present Time**-

Endgame grinned as she watched Danny struggling in her grasp. Soon, the powers of the Septimus would be hers and then they all would be under her power. They would all pay for locking her away for centuries upon centuries. All of them. Especially that bastard Clockwork.

Her moment of glory was lost, however, as several vines lashed around her free arm and started pulling at her. With a feral snarl she threw the now white haired and green eyed Phantom to the ground and started blasting the oncoming vines with fireballs, causing the boy she'd just thrown down to scream and writhe, blisters popping over his pale skin.

Her Paulina guise fell away in her rage. Her pure, white eyes glowed, a black lightning bolt faded in over her right eye, her outfit faded into a long-sleeved black and gray striped shirt and matching pants, her feet bare, and her long red hair twisted down her back. This was Endgame. What she truly was. Fire scorched the vines, the trees, the grass, the flowers, turning everything into black, swirling piles of ashes. When the vines stopped attacking her, Endgame dropped her hands, breathing heavily, and looked around at the unconscious Danny, still with his Guardian powers activated.

"Whelp." Endgame snarled, grabbing the boy by his white hair, ignoring the pained expression that crossed his face as the blistering wounds across his bare skin popped and oozed thick, red, blood, "And yet…you are the Septimus." A vicious sort of grin split her features, "And now you are mine."

She turned and, still dragging the boy by his hair, walked deeper into the Ghost Wood and disappeared from view.

* * *

-**Amity, Fenton Home, Early Morning, Present Time**-

"What're you two muttering about back here?" A very bed ruffled and still slightly sleepy Jazz stuck her head around the curtain, rubbing her eyes, "Trying to wake Danny up?"

"He's not waking up." Sam muttered darkly, continually drumming her fingers on the vine covered surface of Danny's bed.

"Are you worried?" Jazz asked, stifling a yawn.

"No." Sam snapped and took her fingers off of the vines, crossing her arms resolutely over her chest. Tucker and Jazz both raised their eyebrows at her and she scowled, "Okay, maybe a little bit."

Tucker suddenly went ridged and his eyes glazed over, _**"Sam, Jazz, take Tucker and get into the Ghost Wood as fast as you can."**_

"Tucker…?" Jazz's sleepiness melted away.

"_**Clockwork. I'm transmitting part of my energy into Tucker. Get to the Ghost Wood! NOW! Danny's in trouble!"**_

Tucker blinked and shook his head, "Hey, guys, what's with the expressions?"

* * *

-**Amity, Middle of the Ghost Wood, Guardian of the Forest's Lair, Present Time**-

The trio met up with Clockwork in a small patch of burnt and ruined forest. Sam's hand clenched and tears burned her eyes; someone was hurting Danny. Screw the fact that he was hanging out with some other chick, screw the fact that he was a complete idiot and a klutz to boot, and screw the fact that he wasn't even human. He was still her friend.

"What…what happened here?" Jazz took a fearful step forward and then froze as a cloud of ash puffed into the air to swirl around her ankles. Clockwork was starring at the ruined ground, his red eyes brimming with tears that were already starting to trickle down his face, and gave them no response. It was obvious that something was wrong.

"Clockwork?"

"Damn it," The Time Guardian whispered, "Damn it all. I messed up."

"Clockwork, what's going on!?" Sam shoved passed Jazz, ignoring the cloud of ash that flew up around her like a tornado, "What the hell happened here!? Where's Danny!?" She grabbed the chain from which dangled his clock and pendulum and dragged him down to look her in the eye, "Tell me what's happened here!"

Clockwork starred at her, blinking out the rest of his tears, and then gently pushed her hands off, "Sam, what's happened here is…I…" His expression of empty sorrow suddenly became screwed into one of absolute anger and determination, "No, this time I'm not going to lie to you. You should know the truth. But not here, there's too much pain."

He led Tucker, Sam, and Jazz out of the circle of ashes and into a sunnier part of the Ghost Wood. But there was still pain there as well. Tucker saw it first as he sat down on a rock, his eyes traveled over the plants and suddenly locked onto a bunch of ferns. He tapped Sam's shoulder and pointed.

The leaves of the ferns were withered and dying. Sam felt her throat constrict. Danny was gone, he was hurt, and the Ghost Wood was dying without him. It was like Plasmius all over again. She felt Jazz put an arm around her shoulders and draw her close.

"Okay Clockwork," Tucker's voice sounded raspy, like he was holding back tears, "Spill it. What's happening?"

"It has to do with Endgame." Clockwork began, clenching his fingers together at the top of his staff as he sat down on a fallen tree, "Ghostwriter told you of our origins, did he not?" Sam and Tucker nodded but Jazz looked clueless, "Mother Nature and Father Dreams are our; the Elemental Guardians'; parents. Phantom was their seventh son. In the ancient realms, being born as a seventh son is…a great blessing. Phantom had phenomenal powers at his disposal that he never touched, only brushed the surface of; stealing souls, for example." Tucker shivered, "When Danny Fenton unintentionally merged with Phantom, those powers remained and Danny remained the Septimus just as Phantom was. However, this all started long before Phantom was born."

Clockwork closed his eyes as though focusing on something painful within him, "I was the first born to our parents, the Guardian of Time. But my parents realized a danger bloomed within me that must be removed at all cost." He opened his eyes again and they were pulsing, bright red, "Evil, hatred, murder…I could easily corrupt the delicate flow of the time stream with things like that boiling inside my veins. The only solution was to…was to pull them out. I don't remember it well, I was very, very young. But it hurt. I do remember that." Clockwork sighed and shook his head, "Mother and Father locked those dangerous feelings away for centuries upon centuries. She was…we called her Endgame."

Sam's eyes widened.

"_Damn you, Clockwork, damn you into living hellfire! Every single f-ing time! Every time you get in my f-ing way and I won't STAND FOR IT!"_

"_Endgame!"_

"_Hello, __**Father**__!"_

"_Come with me, back to your…cage and you won't have to suffer. Resist and I am afraid I will not be able to withhold my anger much longer."_

"_I'm sooooo scared!"_

"It was her…! She was the one who attacked me and Danny that morning…!"

"Yes," Clockwork murmured, "Yes, it was."

"But what does your evil counter part want with my little brother?" Jazz asked, "What can she possibly do with him?"

"He is the Septimus." Clockwork responded, "If Endgame learns how to tap into his power and control it…she could alter reality itself."

"No…way…" Jazz whispered.

Tucker's eyes rolled back and he fainted clean off his perch.

Sam felt like crying.

Danny was in trouble.

Danny was hurt.

Danny was going to be used to alter reality so that an evil part of Clockwork could…could what?

"But…why would she want to do that, Clockwork?" Sam inquired, trying in vain to keep her voice steady, "Why would she want to alter reality?"

"Damn it…!" Clockwork's face disappeared into his hands again and his voice quivered with sorrow, "She hates us! Me, my parents, all my brothers and sisters, the humans! Everything! She hates it all! Because of me! She is what she is because of me!" The Time Guardian straightened, taking deep breaths to calm himself, "And I have to stop her! It has to be me! This is all my fault. I was too blinded by my own fear of the past to see what she was up to." He stood and looked at the three humans, "You should go back home, all of you, and wait. Danny will come back. I swear it."

"You're _not_ going by yourself, Clockwork." Sam growled, standing up and brushing Jazz off of her, "I…I love Danny and there's no way in Hell I'm going to let some other girl take him!"

"Dude, he's my friend too!" Tucker had regained consciousness and was readjusting his glasses, "You're not leaving me out of this! I didn't trek half-way across that waste of a desert to get him back from Plasmius only to lose him again!"

The two humans and the Guardian looked at Jazz who shook her head slightly, "I'm no fighter and however much I'd like to go with you to rescue my little brother…someone's got to stop Dad from charging into the desert like a mad bull." She forced a smile, "I'm…counting on you three to get Danny back." And she walked away.

"Right…" Tucker rubbed his palms together, looking at Clockwork, "Do you know where Endgame is?"

"No clue." Clockwork responded, not looking the least bit worried about it.

* * *

_Oh, yeah right, what a bunch of bull crap. It's so angsty and depressing. Blech. Clockwork's so OOC he's turned emo. This is horrible. Save me, please, from this horrid, horrid angst and OOC-ness…!_

_But, hey, you know what, we're actually getting somewhere! Yeah…! There's always good news and bad news, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, just shut up and start writing the next chapter, Stopwatch-To-Oblivion, you lazy little Psychonaut obsessed freak!_

_Anyway, please leave me a review. Reviews put a red sock in with Walker's white suits so that when he's doing his laundry everything turns pink! Ha ha ha! They also bring more chapters! RAWR! XO_


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